DANGEROUS "RAGGING."

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 250, 18 October 1912, Page 5

DANGEROUS "RAGGING."

LAD'S HAIR BURNED OFF. WARNING TO RAILWAY EMPLOYEES (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. A highly dangerous form of "ragging" was discovered in an engine shed among cleaners at Dunedin, who are mostly lads 17 to 19 years of age. This led to the prosecution of Charles W. Foster on a charge of having unlawfully assaulted Victor Hercules Main. The latter had just joined the service. He was under an engine at night with the usual lamp fixed in his cap, when, it was alleged, Foster blew kerosene from his mouth at the flame, with the object of frightening Main. The vapour landed on the latteris cap, which it ignited and burned the hair off tho lad's head and the skin off his forehead. The magistrate accepted an explanation by defendant that he had no intention of doing bodily harm, but added that had he been a man he would have inflicted a very heavy penalty. Defendant was fined £3, half the fine to go to the injured boy. The Railway Department intimated that it was determined to put down this kind of thing. Foster was previously employed in the Aldington workshops.